Compounds inhibiting leucine-rich repeat kinase enzyme activity

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to substituted indazole compounds which are potent inhibitors of LRRK2 kinase and useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases in which the LRRK2 kinase is involved, such as Parkinson&#39;s Disease. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of such diseases in which LRRK-2 kinase is involved.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease caused byprogressive loss of mid-brain dopaminergic neurons leading to abnormalmotor symptoms such as bradykinesia, rigidity and resting tremor. ManyPD patients also experience a variety of non-motor symptoms includingcognitive dysfunction, autonomic dysfunction, emotional changes andsleep disruption. The combined motor and non-motor symptoms ofParkinson's disease severely impact patient quality of life.

While the majority of PD cases are idiopathic, there are several geneticdeterminants such as mutations in SNCA, Parkin, PINK1, DJ-1 and LRRK2.Linkage analysis studies have demonstrated that multiple missensemutations in the Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene lead to anautosomal late onset form of PD. LRRK2 is a 286 kDa cytoplasmic proteincontaining kinase and GTPase domains as well as multiple protein-proteininteraction domains. See for example, Aasly et al., Annals of Neurology,Vol. 57(5), May 2005, pp. 762-765; Adams et al., Brain, Vol. 128, 2005,pp. 2777-85; Gilks et al., Lancet, Vol. 365, Jan. 29, 2005, pp. 415-416,Nichols et al., Lancet, Vol. 365, Jan. 29, 2005, pp. 410-412, and U.Kumari and E. Tan, FEBS journal 276 (2009) pp. 6455-6463.

In vitro biochemical studies have demonstrated that LRRK2 proteinsharboring the PD associated proteins generally confer increased kinaseactivity and decreased GTP hydrolysis compared to the wild type protein(Guo et al., Experimental Cell Research, Vol, 313, 2007, pp. 3658-3670)thereby suggesting that small molecule LRRK2 kinase inhibitors may beable to block aberrant LRRK2-dependent signaling in PD. In support ofthis notion, it has been reported that inhibitors of LRRK2 areprotective in models of PD (Lee et al., Nature Medicine, Vol 16, 2010,pp. 998-1000).

LRRK2 protein has also been demonstrated to be associated with Lewybodies, a pathological hallmark of PD as well as other neurodegenerativediseases such as Lewy body dementia (Zhu et al., MolecularNeurodegeneration, Vol 30, 2006, pp. 1-17) thereby suggesting that LRRK2may be associated with the pathogenesis of these diseases.

A growing body of evidence also suggests a role for LRRK2 in immune cellfunction in the brain with LRRK2 inhibition demonstrated to attenuatemicroglial inflammatory responses (Moehle et al., The Journal ofNeuroscience Vol 32, 2012, pp. 1602-1611). Neuroinflammation is ahallmark of a number of neurodegenerative diseases such as PD andAlzheimer's disease, thereby suggesting that LRRK2 inhibitors may haveutility in the treatment of neuroinflammation in these disorders.

Genome-wide association studies also highlight LRRK2 in the modificationof susceptibility to the chronic autoimmune Crohn's disease and leprosy(Zhang et al., The New England Jopuranl of Medicine, Vol 361, 2009, pp.2609-2618; Umeno et al., Inflammatory Bowel Disease Vol 17, 2011, pp.2407-2415). LRRK2 is also associated with certain types of cancer, e.g.melanoma as well as renal and thyroid carcinomas (Saunders-Pullman etal., Movement Disorders, Vol 25, 2010, pp. 2536-2541; Looyenga, et al.,Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, Vol 108, 2011, pp.1439-1444).

Accordingly, compounds and compositions effective at inhibiting LRRK2activity may provide a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such asParkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, neuroinflammation, and fordisease such as Crohn's disease, leprosy and cancer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to substituted indazole compoundswhich are potent inhibitors of LRRK2 kinase and may be useful in thetreatment or prevention of diseases in which the LRRK2 kinase isinvolved, such as Parkinson's Disease. The invention is also directed topharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use ofthese compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of suchdiseases in which LRRK-2 kinase is involved.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to compounds of Formula I:

wherein R¹ is selected from the group consisting of:

a) hydrogen,

b) halo,

c) cyano,

d) hydroxyl,

e) C₂₋₆ alkenyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstitutents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,cyano and R⁵;

f) OC₂₋₆ alkenyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstitutents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,cyano and R⁵;

g) R⁵,

h) OR⁵,

i) R⁷,

j) S(O)_(m)R⁵,

k) S(O)_(m)R⁷,

l) (C═O)R⁷,

m) (C═O)R⁵,

n) (C═O)OR⁵,

o) NR^(c)R^(d), and

p)

X¹, X² and X³ are each independently selected from the group consistingof a bond orCR^(e)R^(f);Y is O, CR^(a)R^(b) or NR^(c);Z is O, CR^(a)R^(b) or NR^(c);R^(z) is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C₁₋₃ alkyl,which is optionally substituted with one to three substituentsindependently selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl,cyano, NH(C₁₋₃ alkyl), N(C₁₋₃ alkyl)₂, OC₁₋₆ alkyl, and C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl;

A is CH or N;

R² is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C₁₋₆ alkyl,which is optionally substituted with one to three substitutentsindependently selected from the group consisting of:

a) halo,

b) cyano,

c) R⁵,

d) R⁷,

e) OR⁵, and

f) NR^(c)R^(d);

R³ is selected from the group consisting of:

a) hydrogen,

b) C₁₋₆ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstitutents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,cyano, OR⁵ and NR^(c)R^(d),

c) C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstitutents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,cyano, OR⁵ and NR^(c)R^(d),

d) heterocyclyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstitutents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,cyano, oxo, R⁵, OR⁵ and NR^(c)R^(d),

e) heteroaryl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstitutents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,cyano, oxo, R⁵, OR⁵ and NR^(c)R^(d);

f) C₄₋₈ cycloalkenyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstitutents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,cyano, OR⁵ and NR^(c)R^(d),

g) (C═O)R⁷,

h) (C═O)R⁵,

i) S(O)_(m)R⁵, and

j) S(O)_(m)R⁷;

or R² and R³ can be taken together with the atoms to which they areattached to form a 3 to 8 membered heterocyclic or heteroaryl ring,wherein said ring may contain from one to three heteroatoms selectedfrom N, O and S, wherein the sulfur is optionally oxidized to thesulfone or sulfoxide, and which ring is optionally substituted with oneto four substituents each independently selected from the groupconsisting of:

a) halo,

b) oxo,

c) cyano,

d) OR⁵,

e) NR^(c)R^(d),

f) SO₃H,

g) S(O)_(m)R⁵,

h) S(O)_(m)R⁷

i) R⁵,

j) R⁶,

k) R⁷,

l) (C═O)R⁵,

m) (C═O)OR⁵,

n) (C═O)R⁷, and

o) (C═O)NR^(c)R^(d);

R⁴ is selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, halo, cyano, OR⁵,aryl, heteroaryl, C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl, C₄₋₈ cycloalkenyl, C₄₋₈ heterocyclyland C₁₋₆ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstitutents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,cyano, OC₁₋₃ alkyl, NR^(c)R^(d) and hydroxy;R⁵ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen or C₁₋₆ alkyl,which is optionally substituted with one to three substituentsindependently selected from the group consisting of:

a) halo,

b) hydroxyl,

c) OC₁₋₆ alkyl,

d) NR^(c)R^(d),

e) (C═O)NR^(c)R^(d),

f) S(O)_(m)R⁸,

g) S(O)_(m)R⁷,

h) R⁷, and

i) OR⁷;

R⁶ is C₁₋₆ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstituents independently selected from the group consisting of haloand hydroxyl;or R⁵ and R⁶ can be taken together with the atoms to which they areattached to form a 4 to 8 membered heterocyclic, 3 to 8 memberedcarbocyclic, aryl or heteroaryl ring, wherein said heterocyclic andheteroaryl rings may contain from one to three heteroatoms selected fromN, O and S, wherein said heterocyclic, carbocyclic, aryl and heteroarylrings are optionally substituted with one to three substituentsindependently selected from the group consisting of:

a) halo,

b) oxo,

c) cyano,

d) hydroxyl,

e) C₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to three halo,

f) C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl,

g) OC₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to three halo,and

h) OC₃₋₈ cycloalkyl;

R⁷ is selected from the group consisting of C₄₋₈ heterocyclyl, C₃₋₈cycloalkyl, C₄₋₈ cycloalkenyl, aryl or heteroaryl, wherein saidheterocyclyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl and heteroaryl groups areoptionally substituted with one to three substituents independentlyselected from the group consisting of:

a) halo,

b) cyano,

c) hydroxyl,

d) oxo,

e) C₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to foursubstituents independently selected from the group consisting ofhydroxyl, halo, cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyl and NR^(c)R^(d),

f) OC₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to foursubstituents independently selected from the group consisting ofhydroxyl, halo, cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyl, NR^(c)R^(d), aryl andheteroaryl,

g) C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to foursubstituents independently selected from the group consisting ofhydroxyl, halo, cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyl and NR^(c)R^(d),

h) aryl, which is optionally substituted with one to four substituentsindependently selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, halo,cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyl, S(O)_(m)NR^(c)R^(d), C(O)NR^(c)R^(d)and NR^(c)R^(d),

i) heteroaryl, which is optionally substituted with one to foursubstituents independently selected from the group consisting ofhydroxyl, halo, cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyl, S(O)_(m)NR^(c)R^(d),C(O)NR^(c)R^(d) and NR^(c)R^(d),

j) heterocyclyl, which is optionally substituted with one to foursubstituents independently selected from the group consisting ofhydroxyl, halo, cyano, OC₁₋₃ alkyl and NR^(c)R^(d),

k) C₄₋₈ cycloalkenyl, which is optionally substituted with one to foursubstituents independently selected from the group consisting ofhydroxyl, halo, cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyl and NR^(c)R^(d);

R⁸ is hydrogen or C₁₋₆ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with oneto three substituents independently selected from the group consistingof:

a) halo,

b) cyano,

c) hydroxyl,

d) OC₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to foursubstituents independently selected from the group consisting ofhydroxyl, halo and NR^(e)R^(f), and

e) C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl;

R⁹ is selected from the group consisting of:

a) C₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstituents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,

b) halo,

c) cyano,

d) hydroxyl, and

e) OC₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstituents independently selected from the group consisting of halo;

R^(a) is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C₁₋₆ alkyl;R^(b) is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C₁₋₆ alkyl;R^(c) is selected from the group consisting of:

a) hydrogen ,

b) C₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstituents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,hydroxyl, cyano, heteroaryl, aryl, NH(C₁₋₃ alkyl), N(C₁₋₃ alkyl)₂, OC₁₋₆alkyl, and C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl;

R^(d) is selected from the group consisting of:

a) hydrogen,

b) C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl,

c) C₃₋₆ heterocyclyl,

d) C₁₋₃ alkyl,

e) (C═O)C₁₋₃ alkyl,

f) aryl, and

g) heteroaryl;

wherein said cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, alkyl, aryl and heteroaryl groupsare each optionally substituted with one to three substituentsindependently selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl,cyano, R⁸, SO₂R⁸, OC₁₋₆ alkyl and C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl; or R^(c) and R^(d)can be taken together with the atoms to which they are attached to forma 3 to 8 membered heterocyclic ring, wherein said ring may contain fromone to three heteroatoms selected from N, O and S, wherein the sulfur isoptionally oxidized to the sulfone or sulfoxide, and which ring isoptionally substituted with one to four substituents each independentlyselected from the group consisting of halo, cyano, hydroxyl, C₁₋₃ alkyland OC₁₋₃ alkyl;

R^(e) is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C₁₋₃ alkyl;R^(f) is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C₁₋₃ alkyl;in is an integer from zero to two.

In a class of the invention, X¹ is a bond. In another class of theinvention, X¹ is CR^(e)R^(f).

In a class of the invention, X² is a bond. In another class of theinvention, X² is CR^(e)R^(f).

In a class of the invention, X³ is a bond. In another class of theinvention, X³ is CR^(e)R^(f).

In a class of the invention, Y is O. In another class of the invention,Y is CR^(a)R^(b). In another class of the invention, Y is NR^(c).

In a class of the invention, Z is O. In another class of the invention,Z is CR^(a)R^(b). In another class of the invention, Z is NR^(c).

In a class of the invention, A is CH. In another class of the invention,A is N.

In a class of the invention, R¹ is selected from the group consisting ofhydrogen,

R⁵, OR⁵, R⁷ and

In a subclass of the invention, R¹ is selected from the group consistingof hydrogen, OR⁵ and R⁷. In a further subclass of the invention, R¹ isselected from the group consisting of hydrogen, OC₁₋₃ alkyl, aryl andheteroaryl, wherein said aryl and heteroaryl groups are optionallysubstituted with one to three substituents independently selected fromthe group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, C₁₋₃ alkyl and OC₁₋₃ alkyl.

In a class of the invention, R² and R³ are taken together with the atomsto which they are attached to form a 3 to 8 membered heterocyclic ring,wherein said ring may contain from one to three heteroatoms selectedfrom N, O and S, wherein the sulfur is optionally oxidized to thesulfone or sulfoxide, and which ring is optionally substituted with oneto four substituents each independently selected from the groupconsisting of:

a) halo,

b) oxo,

c) cyano,

d) OR⁵,

e) NR^(c)R^(d),

f) SO₃H

g) S(O)_(m)R⁵,

h) S(O)_(m)R⁷,

i) R⁵,

j) R⁶,

k) R⁷,

l) (C═O)R⁵,

m) (C═O)OR⁵,

n) (C═O)R⁷ and

o) (C═O)NR^(c)R^(d). In a subclass of the invention, R² and R³ are takentogether with the atoms to which they are attached to form a 6 memberedheterocyclic ring, wherein said ring may contain from one to threeheteroatoms selected from N, O and S, wherein the sulfur is optionallyoxidized to the sulfone or sulfoxide, and which ring is optionallysubstituted with one to four substituents each independently selectedfrom the group consisting of:

a) halo,

b) oxo,

c) OR⁵,

d) NR^(c)R^(d),

e) S(O)_(m)R⁵,

f) S(O)_(m)R⁷,

f) R⁵,

g) R⁶,

h) R⁷,

i) (C═O)R⁵,

j) (C═O)OR⁵ and

k) (C═O)R⁷.

In a further subclass of the invention, R² and R³ are taken togetherwith the atoms to which they are attached to form a morpholinyl group,which is optionally substituted with C₁₋₆ alkyl or C₁₋₆ alkylhydroxyl.In a further subclass of the invention, R² and R³ are taken togetherwith the atoms to which they are attached to form a piperazinyl group,which is optionally substituted with C₁₋₆ alkyl or SO_(2—)C₁₋₆ alkyl-.In a further subclass of the invention, R² and R³ are taken togetherwith the atoms to which they are attached to form a piperazinone group.

In a class of the invention, R⁴ is hydrogen.

In a class of the invention, R⁹ is selected from the group consistingof:

a) C₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstituents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,and

b) halo.

In a class of the invention, R^(a) is hydrogen.

In a class of the invention, R^(b) is hydrogen.

In a class of the invention, R^(c) is hydrogen.

In a class of the invention, R^(d) is hydrogen.

In a class of the invention, R^(e) is hydrogen.

In a class of the invention, R^(f) is hydrogen.

Reference to the preferred classes and subclasses set forth above ismeant to include all combinations of particular and preferred groupsunless stated otherwise.

Specific embodiments of the present invention include, but are notlimited to the compounds identified herein as Examples 1 to 12, orpharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

The invention also encompasses a pharmaceutical composition whichcomprises an inert carrier and the compound of Formula I, or apharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

The invention may also encompass a method of treating Parkinson'sDisease in a mammalian patient in need of such treatment, whichcomprises administering to the patient a therapeutically effectiveamount of the compound of Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptablesalt thereof.

The invention may also encompass the use of a compound of Formula I, ora pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceuticallyacceptable carrier, for the manufacture of a medicament for thetreatment of Parkinson's Disease. The invention may also encompass theuse of a compound of Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable saltthereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, in therapy.

The invention is also directed to medicaments or pharmaceuticalcompositions which may be useful for treating diseases or disorders inwhich LRRK2 is involved, such as Parkinson's Disease, which comprise acompound of Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof,and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The invention is also directed to the use of a compound of Formula Iwhich may be useful for treating diseases or disorders in which LRRK2 isinvolved, such as Parkinson's Disease.

The invention is further directed to a method for the manufacture of amedicament or a composition which may be useful for treating diseases ordisorders in which LRRK2 is involved, such as Parkinson's Disease,comprising combining a compound of Formula I with one or morepharmaceutically acceptable carriers.

The compounds of the present invention may contain one or moreasymmetric centers and can thus occur as racemates and racemic mixtures,single enantiomers, diastereomeric mixtures and individualdiastereomers. Additional asymmetric centers may be present dependingupon the nature of the various substituents on the molecule. Each suchasymmetric center will independently produce two optical isomers and itis intended that all of the possible optical isomers and diastereomersin mixtures and as pure or partially purified compounds are includedwithin the ambit of this invention. Unless a specific stereochemistry isindicated, the present invention is meant to comprehend all suchisomeric forms of these compounds.

The independent syntheses of these diastereomers or theirchromatographic separations may be achieved as known in the art byappropriate modification of the methodology disclosed herein. Theirabsolute stereochemistry may be determined by the x-ray crystallographyof crystalline products or crystalline intermediates which arederivatized, if necessary, with a reagent containing an asymmetriccenter of known absolute configuration.

If desired, racemic mixtures of the compounds may be separated so thatthe individual enantiomers are isolated. The separation can be carriedout by methods well known in the art, such as the coupling of a racemicmixture of compounds to an enantiomerically pure compound to form adiastereomeric mixture, followed by separation of the individualdiastereomers by standard methods, such as fractional crystallization orchromatography. The coupling reaction is often the formation of saltsusing an enantiomerically pure acid or base. The diasteromericderivatives may then be converted to the pure enantiomers by cleavage ofthe added chiral residue. The racemic mixture of the compounds can alsobe separated directly by chromatographic methods utilizing chiralstationary phases, which methods are well known in the art.

Alternatively, any enantiomer of a compound may be obtained bystereoselective synthesis using optically pure starting materials orreagents of known configuration by methods well known in the art.

In the compounds of Formula I, the atoms may exhibit their naturalisotopic abundances, or one or more of the atoms may be artificiallyenriched in a particular isotope having the same atomic number, but anatomic mass or mass number different from the atomic mass or mass numberpredominantly found in nature. The present invention is meant to includeall suitable isotopic variations of the compounds of generic Formula I.For example, different isotopic forms of hydrogen (H) include protium(¹H) and deuterium (²H). Protium is the predominant hydrogen isotopefound in nature. Enriching for deuterium may afford certain therapeuticadvantages, such as increasing in vivo half-life or reducing dosagerequirements, or may provide a compound useful as a standard forcharacterization of biological samples. Isotopically-enriched compoundswithin generic Formula I can be prepared without undue experimentationby conventional techniques well known to those skilled in the art or byprocesses analogous to those described in the Schemes and Examplesherein using appropriate isotopically-enriched reagents and/orintermediates.

Tautomers of compounds defined in Formula I are also included within thescope of the present invention. For example, compounds includingcarbonyl —CH₂C(O)— groups (keto forms) may undergo tautomerism to formhydroxyl —CH═C(OH)— groups (enol forms). Both keto and enol forms areincluded within the scope of the present invention.

When any variable (e.g. R⁵, etc.) occurs more than one time in anyconstituent, its definition on each occurrence is independent at everyother occurrence. Also, combinations of substituents and variables arepermissible only if such combinations result in stable compounds. Linesdrawn into the ring systems from substituents represent that theindicated bond may be attached to any of the substitutable ring atoms.If the ring system is bicyclic, it is intended that the bond be attachedto any of the suitable atoms on either ring of the bicyclic moiety.

It is understood that one or more silicon (Si) atoms can be incorporatedinto the compounds of the instant invention in place of one or morecarbon atoms by one of ordinary skill in the art to provide compoundsthat are chemically stable and that can be readily synthesized bytechniques known in the art from readily available starting materials.Carbon and silicon differ in their covalent radius leading todifferences in bond distance and the steric arrangement when comparinganalogous C-element and Si-element bonds. These differences lead tosubtle changes in the size and shape of silicon-containing compoundswhen compared to carbon. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldunderstand that size and shape differences can lead to subtle ordramatic changes in potency, solubility, lack of off-target activity,packaging properties, and so on. (Diass, J. O. et al. Organometallics(2006) 5:1188-1198; Showell, G. A. et al. Bioorganic & MedicinalChemistry Letters (2006) 16:2555-2558).

It is understood that substituents and substitution patterns on thecompounds of the instant invention can be selected by one of ordinaryskill in the art to provide compounds that are chemically stable andthat can be readily synthesized by techniques known in the art, as wellas those methods set forth below, from readily available startingmaterials. If a substituent is itself substituted with more than onegroup, it is understood that these multiple groups may be on the samecarbon or on different carbons, so long as a stable structure results.The phrase “optionally substituted with one or more substituents” shouldbe understood as meaning that the group in question is eitherunsubstituted or may be substituted with one or more substituents.

As used herein, “alkyl” is intended to mean linear or branchedstructures having no carbon-to-carbon double or triple bonds. Thus, C₁₋₄alkyl is defined to identify the group as having 1, 2, 3 or 4 carbons ina linear or branched arrangement, such that C₁₋₄ alkyl specificallyincludes, but is not limited to, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl,n-butyl, iso-butyl and tent-butyl.

As appreciated by those of skill in the art, “halo” or “halogen” as usedherein is intended to include chloro (Cl), fluoro (F), bromo (Br) andiodo (I).

The term “cycloalkyl” shall mean cyclic rings of alkanes of three toeight total carbon atoms, unless otherwise indicated, or any numberwithin this range (i.e., cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl,cyclohexyl, cycloheptyl, methyl-cyclopropyl, 2,2-dimethyl-cyclobutyl,2-ethyl-cyclopentyl or cyclooctyl) and also includes bicyclic or fusedspirocyclic compounds.

The term “cycloalkenyl” shall mean cyclic rings of four to eight totalcarbon atoms, unless otherwise indicated, or any number within thisrange where one or two degrees of unsaturation are present. Non-limitingexamples of said cycloalkenyl groups are: cyclohexenyl, cyclopentenyl,cyclooctadienyl.

If no number of carbon atoms is specified, the term “alkenyl” refers toa non-aromatic hydrocarbon radical, straight or branched, containingfrom 2 to 10 carbon atoms and at least 1 carbon to carbon double bond.Preferably 1 carbon to carbon double bond is present, and up to 4non-aromatic carbon-carbon double bonds may be present. Thus, “C2-C6alkenyl” means an alkenyl radical having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms.Alkenyl groups include ethenyl, propenyl, butenyl and hexenyl. Asdescribed above with respect to alkyl, the straight or branched portionof the alkenyl group may contain double bonds and may be substituted ifa substituted alkenyl group is indicated.

“Aryl” means an aromatic monocyclic or multicyclic ring systemcomprising about 6 to about 14 carbon atoms, preferably about 6 to about10 carbon atoms. The aryl group can be optionally substituted with oneor more “ring system substituents” which may be the same or different,and are as defined herein. Non-limiting examples of suitable aryl groupsinclude phenyl and naphthyl.

The term “heteroaryl”, as used herein, represents a stable monocyclic,bicyclic or tricyclic ring of up to 10 atoms in each ring, wherein atleast one ring is aromatic and contains from 1 to 4 heteroatoms selectedfrom the group consisting of O, N and S. Heteroaryl groups within thescope of this definition include but are not limited to:benzoimidazolyl, benzofuranyl, benzofurazanyl, benzopyrazolyl,benzotriazolyl, benzothiophenyl, benzoxazolyl, carbazolyl, carbolinyl,cinnolinyl, furanyl, indolinyl, indolyl, indolazinyl, indazolyl,isobenzofuranyl, isoindolyl, isoquinolyl, isothiazolyl, isoxazolyl,naphthpyridinyl, oxadiazolyl, oxazolyl, oxazoline, isoxazoline, pyranyl,pyrazinyl, pyrazolyl, pyridazinyl, pyridopyridinyl, pyridyl,pyrimidinyl, pyrrolyl, quinazolinyl, quinolyl, quinoxalinyl, tetrazolyl,tetrazolopyridyl, thiadiazolyl, thiazolyl, thienyl, triazolyl,dihydrobenzoimidazolyl, dihydrobenzofuranyl, dihydrobenzothiophenyl,dihydrobenzoxazolyl, dihydroindolyl, dihydroquinolinyl,methylenedioxybenzene, benzothiazolyl, benzothienyl, quinolinyl,isoquinolinyl, oxazolyl, and tetra-hydroquinoline. In cases where theheteroaryl substituent is bicyclic and one ring is non-aromatic orcontains no heteroatoms, it is understood that attachment is via thearomatic ring or via the heteroatom containing ring, respectively. Ifthe heteroaryl contains nitrogen atoms, it is understood that thecorresponding N-oxides thereof are also encompassed by this definition.

The term “heterocycle” or “heterocyclyl” as used herein is intended tomean a 5- to 10-membered nonaromatic ring, unless otherwise specified,containing from 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting ofO, N, S, SO, or SO₂ and includes bicyclic groups. The heterocyclyl groupalso includes rings that possess one or two degrees of unsaturation.“Heterocyclyl” therefore includes, but is not limited to the following:piperazinyl, piperidinyl, pyrrolidinyl, morpholinyl, thiomorpholinyl,tetrahydropyranyl, dihydropiperidinyl, tetrahydrothiophenyl, azetidinyland the like. If the heterocycle contains a nitrogen, it is understoodthat the corresponding N-oxides thereof are also emcompassed by thisdefinition.

The phrase “pharmaceutically acceptable” is employed herein to refer tothose compounds, materials, compositions, and/or dosage forms which are,within the scope of sound medical judgment, suitable for use in contactwith the tissues of human beings and animals without excessive toxicity,irritation, allergic response, or other problem or complication,commensurate with a reasonable benefit/risk ratio.

As used herein, “pharmaceutically acceptable salts” refer to derivativeswherein the parent compound is modified by making acid or base saltsthereof. Salts in the solid form may exist in more than one crystalstructure, and may also be in the form of hydrates. Examples ofpharmaceutically acceptable salts include, but are not limited to,mineral or organic acid salts of basic residues such as amines; alkalior organic salts of acidic residues such as carboxylic acids; and thelike. The pharmaceutically acceptable salts include the conventionalnon-toxic salts or the quaternary ammonium salts of the parent compoundformed, for example, from non-toxic inorganic or organic acids. Forexample, such conventional non-toxic salts include those derived frominorganic acids such as hydrochloric, hydrobromic, sulfuric, sulfamic,phosphoric, nitric and the like; and the salts prepared from organicacids such as acetic, propionic, succinic, glycolic, stearic, lactic,malic, tartaric, citric, ascorbic, pamoic, maleic, hydroxymaleic,phenylacetic, glutamic, benzoic, salicylic, sulfanilic,2-acetoxybenzoic, fumaric, toluenesulfonic, methanesulfonic, ethanedisulfonic, oxalic, isethionic, and the like. Salts derived frominorganic bases include aluminum, ammonium, calcium, copper, ferric,ferrous, lithium, magnesium, manganic salts, manganous, potassium,sodium, zinc, and the like.

When the compound of the present invention is basic, salts may beprepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic acids, includinginorganic and organic acids. Such acids include acetic, benzenesulfonic,benzoic, camphorsulfonic, citric, ethanesulfonic, fumaric, gluconic,glutamic, hydrobromic, hydrochloric, isethionic, lactic, maleic, malic,mandelic, methanesulfonic, mucic, nitric, pamoic, pantothenic,phosphoric, succinic, sulfuric, tartaric, p-toluenesulfonic acid, andthe like. In one aspect of the invention the salts are citric,hydrobromic, hydrochloric, maleic, phosphoric, sulfuric, fumaric, andtartaric acids. Similarly, the salts of the acidic compounds are formedby reactions with the appropriate inorganic or organic base. It will beunderstood that, as used herein, references to the compounds of FormulaI are meant to also include the pharmaceutically acceptable salts.

Exemplifying the invention is the use of the compounds disclosed in theExamples and herein. Specific compounds within the present inventioninclude a compound which may be selected from the group consisting ofthe compounds disclosed in the following Examples and pharmaceuticallyacceptable salts thereof and individual diastereomers thereof.

The subject compounds are useful in a method of inhibition of LRRK2receptors in a patient such as a mammal in need of such antagonismcomprising the administration of an effective amount of the compound.The present invention is directed to the use of the compounds disclosedherein as inhibitors of LRRK2 receptors. In addition to primates,especially humans, a variety of other mammals can be treated accordingto the method of the present invention.

Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method forthe treatment, control, amelioration, or reduction of risk of a diseaseor disorder in which the LRRK2 kinase is involved in a patient thatcomprises administering to the patient a therapeutically effectiveamount of a compound that is an inhibitor of LRRK2 kinase.

The present invention is further directed to a method for themanufacture of a medicament for inhibition of LRRK2 receptors activityin humans and animals comprising combining a compound of the presentinvention with a pharmaceutical carrier or diluent.

The subject treated in the present methods is generally a mammal, forexample a human being, male or female, in whom inhibition of LRRK2kinase activity is desired. The term “therapeutically effective amount”means the amount of the subject compound that will elicit the biologicalor medical response of a tissue, system, animal or human that is beingsought by the researcher, veterinarian, medical doctor or otherclinician.

The terms “treating” or “treatment” of a disease as used hereinincludes: inhibiting the disease, i.e., arresting or reducing thedevelopment of the disease or its clinical symptoms; or relieving thedisease, i.e., causing regression of the disease or its clinicalsymptoms. The term “preventing” or “prevention” of a disease as usedherein includes: causing the clinical symptoms of the disease not todevelop in a mammal that may be exposed to or predisposed to the diseasebut does not yet experience or display symptoms of the disease, and thelike.

The term “composition” as used herein is intended to encompass a productcomprising the specified ingredients in the specified amounts, as wellas any product which results, directly or indirectly, from combinationof the specified ingredients in the specified amounts. Such term inrelation to pharmaceutical composition, is intended to encompass aproduct comprising the active ingredient(s), and the inert ingredient(s)that make up the carrier, as well as any product which results, directlyor indirectly, from combination, complexation or aggregation of any twoor more of the ingredients, or from dissociation of one or more of theingredients, or from other types of reactions or interactions of one ormore of the ingredients. Accordingly, the pharmaceutical compositions ofthe present invention encompass any composition made by admixing acompound of the present invention and a pharmaceutically acceptablecarrier. By “pharmaceutically acceptable” it is meant the carrier,diluent or excipient must be compatible with the other ingredients ofthe formulation and not deleterious to the recipient thereof.

The present invention includes within its scope prodrugs of thecompounds of this invention. In general, such prodrugs will befunctional derivatives of the compounds of this invention which arereadily convertible in vivo into the required compound. Thus, in themethods of treatment of the present invention, the terms “administrationof” or “administering a” compound shall encompass the treatment of thevarious conditions described with the compound specifically disclosed orwith a compound which may not be specifically disclosed, but whichconverts to the specified compound in vivo after administration to thepatient. Conventional procedures for the selection and preparation ofsuitable prodrug derivatives are described, for example, in “Design ofProdrugs,” ed. H. Bundgaard, Elsevier, 1985. Metabolites of thesecompounds include active species produced upon introduction of compoundsof this invention into the biological milieu.

The ability of the compounds of the present invention to act as LRRK2kinase inhibitors may make them useful pharmacological agents fordisorders that involve LRRK2 kinase in humans and animals, butparticularly in humans.

In another embodiment the invention provides a method of inhibitingLRRK2 Kinase activity (this is to say, inhibiting the kinase activityassociated with Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 [LRRK2], a multidomainprotein containing kinase and GTPase enzymatic activities) in a patientin need of therapy for a condition amenable to treatment by such kinaseactivity inhibition, for example, treatment or prevention of neurologicdamage associated with Parkinson's disease, for example, improvement indopaminergic tone and in providing symptomatic benefit, for example, intreating, alleviating, ameliorating, or managing motor and non-motorsymptoms of Parkinson's disease, and other conditions that may betreated or prevented by inhibition of LRRK2 kinase. Of particularimportance is the acute or prophylactic treatment of Parkinson'sDisease.

The subject compounds may be further useful in a method for theprevention, treatment, control, amelioration, or reduction of risk ofthe diseases, disorders and conditions noted herein.

The subject compounds may be further useful in a method for theprevention, treatment, control, amelioration, or reduction of risk ofthe aforementioned diseases, disorders and conditions in combinationwith other agents.

The compounds of the present invention may be used in combination withone or more other drugs in the treatment, prevention, control,amelioration, or reduction of risk of diseases or conditions for whichcompounds of Formula I or the other drugs may have utility, where thecombination of the drugs together are safer or more effective thaneither drug alone. Such other drug(s) may be administered, by a routeand in an amount commonly used therefore, contemporaneously orsequentially with a compound of Formula I. When a compound of Formula Iis used contemporaneously with one or more other drugs, a pharmaceuticalcomposition in unit dosage form containing such other drugs and thecompound of Formula I is preferred. However, the combination therapy mayalso include therapies in which the compound of Formula I and one ormore other drugs are administered on different overlapping schedules. Itis also contemplated that when used in combination with one or moreother active ingredients, the compounds of the present invention and theother active ingredients may be used in lower doses than when each isused singly. Accordingly, the pharmaceutical compositions of the presentinvention include those that contain one or more other activeingredients, in addition to a compound of Formula I.

For example, the present compounds may be used in conjunction with oneor more additional therapeutic agents, for example: L-DOPA; dopaminergicagonists such as quinpirole, ropinirole, pramipexole, pergolide andbromocriptine; MAO-B inhibitors such as rasagiline, deprenyl andselegiline; DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors such as carbidopa andbenserazide; and COMT inhibitors such as tolcapone and entacapone; orpotential therapies such as an adenosine A2a antagonists, metabotropicglutamate receptor 4 modulators, or growth factors such as brain derivedneurotrophic factor (BDNF), and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The above combinations include combinations of a compound of the presentinvention not only with one other active compound, but also with two ormore other active compounds. Likewise, compounds of the presentinvention may be used in combination with other drugs that are used inthe prevention, treatment, control, amelioration, or reduction of riskof the diseases or conditions for which compounds of the presentinvention are useful. Such other drugs may be administered, by a routeand in an amount commonly used therefore, contemporaneously orsequentially with a compound of the present invention. When a compoundof the present invention is used contemporaneously with one or moreother drugs, a pharmaceutical composition containing such other drugs inaddition to the compound of the present invention is preferred.Accordingly, the pharmaceutical compositions of the present inventioninclude those that also contain one or more other active ingredients, inaddition to a compound of the present invention.

The weight ratio of the compound of the present invention to the otheractive ingredient(s) may be varied and will depend upon the effectivedose of each ingredient. Generally, an effective dose of each will beused. Thus, for example, when a compound of the present invention iscombined with another agent, the weight ratio of the compound of thepresent invention to the other agent will generally range from about1000:1 to about 1:1000, or from about 200:1 to about 1:200. Combinationsof a compound of the present invention and other active ingredients willgenerally also be within the aforementioned range, but in each case, aneffective dose of each active ingredient should be used.

In such combinations the compound of the present invention and otheractive agents may be administered separately or in conjunction. Inaddition, the administration of one element may be prior to, concurrentto, or subsequent to the administration of other agent(s), and via thesame or different routes of administration.

The compounds of the present invention may be administered by oral,parenteral (e.g., intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intravenous, ICV,intracisternal injection or infusion, subcutaneous injection, orimplant), by inhalation spray, nasal, vaginal, rectal, sublingual,buccal or topical routes of administration and may be formulated, aloneor together, in suitable dosage unit formulations containingconventional non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, adjuvantsand vehicles appropriate for each route of administration. In additionto the treatment of warm-blooded animals the compounds of the inventionare effective for use in humans.

The pharmaceutical compositions for the administration of the compoundsof this invention may conveniently be presented in dosage unit form andmay be prepared by any of the methods well known in the art of pharmacy.All methods include the step of bringing the active ingredient intoassociation with the carrier which constitutes one or more accessoryingredients. In general, the pharmaceutical compositions are prepared byuniformly and intimately bringing the active ingredient into associationwith a liquid carrier or a finely divided solid carrier or both, andthen, if necessary, shaping the product into the desired formulation. Inthe pharmaceutical composition the active compound is included in anamount sufficient to produce the desired effect upon the process orcondition of diseases. As used herein, the term “composition” isintended to encompass a product comprising the specified ingredients inthe specified amounts, as well as any product which results, directly orindirectly, from combination of the specified ingredients in thespecified amounts.

The pharmaceutical compositions containing the active ingredient may bein a form suitable for oral use, for example, as tablets, troches,lozenges, aqueous or oily suspensions, dispersible powders or granules,emulsions, solutions, hard or soft capsules, or syrups or elixirs.Compositions intended for oral use may be prepared according to anymethod known to the art for the manufacture of pharmaceuticalcompositions and such compositions may contain one or more agentsselected from the group consisting of sweetening agents, flavoringagents, coloring agents and preserving agents in order to providepharmaceutically elegant and palatable preparations. Tablets contain theactive ingredient in admixture with non-toxic pharmaceuticallyacceptable excipients which are suitable for the manufacture of tablets.These excipients may be for example, inert diluents, such as calciumcarbonate, sodium carbonate, lactose, calcium phosphate or sodiumphosphate; granulating and disintegrating agents, for example, cornstarch, or alginic acid; binding agents, for example starch, gelatin oracacia; and lubricating agents, for example magnesium stearate, stearicacid or talc. The tablets may be uncoated or they may be coated by knowntechniques to delay disintegration and absorption in thegastrointestinal tract and thereby provide a sustained action over alonger period. For example, a time delay material such as glycerylmonostearate or glyceryl distearate may be employed. They may also becoated by the techniques described in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,256,108;4,166,452; and 4,265,874 to form osmotic therapeutic tablets for controlrelease. Oral tablets may also be formulated for immediate release, suchas fast melt tablets or wafers, rapid dissolve tablets or fast dissolvefilms.

Formulations for oral use may also be presented as hard gelatin capsuleswherein the active ingredient is mixed with an inert solid diluent, forexample, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate or kaolin, or as softgelatin capsules wherein the active ingredient is mixed with water or anoil medium, for example peanut oil, liquid paraffin, or olive oil.

Aqueous suspensions contain the active materials in admixture withexcipients suitable for the manufacture of aqueous suspensions. Suchexcipients are suspending agents, for example sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxy-propylmethylcellulose,sodium alginate, polyvinyl-pyrrolidone, gum tragacanth and gum acacia;dispersing or wetting agents may be a naturally-occurring phosphatide,for example lecithin, or condensation products of an alkylene oxide withfatty acids, for example polyoxyethylene stearate, or condensationproducts of ethylene oxide with long chain aliphatic alcohols, forexample heptadecaethyleneoxycetanol, or condensation products ofethylene oxide with partial esters derived from fatty acids and ahexitol such as polyoxyethylene sorbitol monooleate, or condensationproducts of ethylene oxide with partial esters derived from fatty acidsand hexitol anhydrides, for example polyethylene sorbitan monooleate.The aqueous suspensions may also contain one or more preservatives, forexample ethyl, or n-propyl, p-hydroxybenzoate, one or more coloringagents, one or more flavoring agents, and one or more sweetening agents,such as sucrose or saccharin.

Oily suspensions may be formulated by suspending the active ingredientin a vegetable oil, for example arachis oil, olive oil, sesame oil orcoconut oil, or in a mineral oil such as liquid paraffin. The oilysuspensions may contain a thickening agent, for example beeswax, hardparaffin or cetyl alcohol. Sweetening agents such as those set forthabove, and flavoring agents may be added to provide a palatable oralpreparation. These compositions may be preserved by the addition of ananti-oxidant such as ascorbic acid.

Dispersible powders and granules suitable for preparation of an aqueoussuspension by the addition of water provide the active ingredient inadmixture with a dispersing or wetting agent, suspending agent and oneor more preservatives. Suitable dispersing or wetting agents andsuspending agents are exemplified by those already mentioned above.Additional excipients, for example sweetening, flavoring and coloringagents, may also be present.

The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may also be in the formof oil-in-water emulsions. The oily phase may be a vegetable oil, forexample olive oil or arachis oil, or a mineral oil, for example liquidparaffin or mixtures of these. Suitable emulsifying agents may benaturally-occurring gums, for example gum acacia or gum tragacanth,naturally-occurring phosphatides, for example soy bean, lecithin, andesters or partial esters derived from fatty acids and hexitolanhydrides, for example sorbitan monooleate, and condensation productsof the said partial esters with ethylene oxide, for examplepolyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate. The emulsions may also containsweetening and flavoring agents.

Syrups and elixirs may be formulated with sweetening agents, for exampleglycerol, propylene glycol, sorbitol or sucrose. Such formulations mayalso contain a demulcent, a preservative and flavoring and coloringagents.

The pharmaceutical compositions may be in the form of a sterileinjectable aqueous or oleagenous suspension. This suspension may beformulated according to the known art using those suitable dispersing orwetting agents and suspending agents which have been mentioned above.The sterile injectable preparation may also be a sterile injectablesolution or suspension in a non-toxic parenterally-acceptable diluent orsolvent, for example as a solution in 1,3-butane diol. Among theacceptable vehicles and solvents that may be employed are water,Ringer's solution and isotonic sodium chloride solution. In addition,sterile, fixed oils are conventionally employed as a solvent orsuspending medium. For this purpose any bland fixed oil may be employedincluding synthetic mono- or diglycerides. In addition, fatty acids suchas oleic acid find use in the preparation of injectables.

The compounds of the present invention may also be administered in theform of suppositories for rectal administration of the drug. Thesecompositions can be prepared by mixing the drug with a suitablenon-irritating excipient which is solid at ordinary temperatures butliquid at the rectal temperature and will therefore melt in the rectumto release the drug. Such materials are cocoa butter and polyethyleneglycols.

For topical use, creams, ointments, jellies, solutions or suspensionsand the like, containing the compounds of the present invention areemployed. Similarly, transdermal patches may also be used for topicaladministration.

The pharmaceutical composition and method of the present invention mayfurther comprise other therapeutically active compounds as noted hereinwhich are usually applied in the treatment of the above mentionedpathological conditions.

In the treatment, prevention, control, amelioration, or reduction ofrisk of conditions which require inhibition of LRRK2 kinase activity anappropriate dosage level will generally be about 0.01 to 500 mg per kgpatient body weight per day which can be administered in single ormultiple doses. A suitable dosage level may be about 0.01 to 250 mg/kgper day, about 0.05 to 100 mg/kg per day, or about 0.1 to 50 mg/kg perday. Within this range the dosage may be 0.05 to 0.5, 0.5 to 5 or 5 to50 mg/kg per day. For oral administration, the compositions may beprovided in the form of tablets containing 1.0 to 1000 milligrams of theactive ingredient, particularly 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0. 20.0, 25.0, 50.0,75.0, 100.0, 150.0, 200.0, 250.0, 300.0, 400.0, 500.0, 600.0, 750.0,800.0, 900.0, and 1000.0 milligrams of the active ingredient for thesymptomatic adjustment of the dosage to the patient to be treated. Thecompounds may be administered on a regimen of 1 to 4 times per day, ormay be administered once or twice per day.

It will be understood, however, that the specific dose level andfrequency of dosage for any particular patient may be varied and willdepend upon a variety of factors including the activity of the specificcompound employed, the metabolic stability and length of action of thatcompound, the age, body weight, general health, sex, diet, mode and timeof administration, rate of excretion, drug combination, the severity ofthe particular condition, and the host undergoing therapy.

Methods for preparing the compounds of this invention are illustrated inthe following Schemes and Examples. Starting materials are madeaccording to procedures known in the art or as illustrated herein.

The compounds of the present invention can be prepared readily accordingto the following Schemes and specific examples, or modificationsthereof, using readily available starting materials, reagents andconventional synthesis procedures. In these reactions, it is alsopossible to make use of variants which are themselves known to those ofordinary skill in this art but are not mentioned in greater detail. Thegeneral procedures for making the compounds claimed in this inventioncan be readily understood and appreciated by one skilled in the art fromviewing the following Schemes.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference tocertain particular embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art willappreciate that various adaptations, changes, modifications,substitutions, deletions, or additions of procedures and protocols maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.For example, effective dosages other than the particular dosages as setforth herein above may be applicable as a consequence of variations inthe responsiveness of the mammal being treated for any of theindications with the compounds of the invention indicated above.Likewise, the specific pharmacological responses observed may varyaccording to and depending upon the particular active compounds selectedor whether there are present pharmaceutical carriers, as well as thetype of formulation and mode of administration employed, and suchexpected variations or differences in the results are contemplated inaccordance with the objects and practices of the present invention. Itis intended, therefore, that the invention be defined by the scope ofthe claims which follow and that such claims be interpreted as broadlyas is reasonable.

Treatment of appropriate compounds i with NaH followed by PMBCl and thelike will provide ii (Scheme A). The iodo indazole ii can be convertedinto the pyridyl substituted indazole iii via palladium-mediatedcross-coupling with a suitable boronic acid or analogous boronate. Thefluoropyridine iii can be converted into aminopyridine iv using theappropriate amine (HN(R²)R³) and a base in a solvent such as DMF and thelike. The 7-bromo-indazole iv can be converted into 7-methyl-indazole vusing an appropriate palladium catalyst and zinc reagent and the like.Removal of the protecting group with an acid such as TFA and the likecan provide compounds vi.

Alternatively, a hydroxyindazole such as vii can be converted to thealkoxyindazole viii by a sequential one-pot reaction: alkylation,iodination, and then protection (Scheme B). The iodoindazole viii can beconverted into the pyridyl substituted indazole via palladium-mediatedcross-coupling with a suitable boronic acid or analogous boronate whichcould provide compounds ix by removal of the protecting group understandard conditions.

Treatment of x with NIS followed by TrCl and the like will provide xi(Scheme C). The iodo indazole xi can be converted into the pyridylsubstituted indazole xii via palladium-mediated cross-coupling with asuitable boronic acid or analogous boronate. The aryl bromide xii can beconverted into 5-aryl substituted indazole xiii via cross-coupling ofthe bromide with a suitable boronic acid or analogous boronate, followedby removal of the trityl protecting group to provide examples such asxiv.

Treatment of a suitable bromo-indazole xv under palladium catalyzedcross coupling conditions with a boronic acid and the like will affordxvi (Scheme D). Treatment with iodine/K₂CO₃ and followed by Bocprotection and the like will provide compound xvii. Compound xvii canthe undergo palladium-catalyzed cross coupling with the requisiteboronic acid to afford xviii. Palladium mediated amination with theappropriate amines will provide compounds xix.

Experimentals

Abbreviations used in the experimentals may include, but are not limitedto the following:

ACN Acetonitrile AcOH Acetic acid Aq Aqueous Bn Benzyl BOCtert-Butoxycarbonyl BOC₂O BOC Anhydride Boc₂O Bu Butyl C. (or ° C.)degrees Celsius Cbz benzyloxycarbonyl DBU1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene DCM Dichloromethane DIPEADiisopropylethylamine DEAD diethylazodicarboxylate DIADdiisopropylazodicarboxylate DMA N,N-Dimethylacetamide DMAP4-Dimethylaminopyridine DME 1,2-dimethoxyethane DMF DimethylformamideDMSO Dimethyl sulfoxide dppf 1,1′-(bis-diphenylphosphino) ferrocene EDCI1-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-3- EDC 1-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride EIElectron ionization Eq Equivalents Et Ethyl EtOAc Ethyl acetate EtoHEthanol g grams h, hr hours ¹H proton HATU N,N,N′,N′-Tetramethyl-O- Hexhexanes (7-Azabenzotriazol-1- yl)uronium hexafluorophosphate HOBT1-Hydroxybenzotriazole HOBT•H₂O 1-Hydroxybenzotriazole hydrate HOTSpara-toluene sulfonic acid HOTS•H₂O para-toluene sulfonic acid hydrate(see also TsOH) (see also TsOH•H₂O) HMPA hexamethylphosphoramide HPLCHigh pressure liquid chromatography IPA isopropanol, 2-propanol LDAlithium diisopropylamide M Molar mmol milimolar mCPBA meta-Chloroperoxybenzoic acid Me Methyl MeCN Acetonitrile MeOH Methanol min Minutes mgMilligrams MHZ Megahertz mL (or ml) Milliliter Mol sieves molecularsieves N normal MTBE Methyl tert-butyl ether MPLC Medium Pressure LiquidChromatography/flash chromatography NMR Nuclear Magnetic Resonance MSMass Spectroscopy NBS N-Bromosuccinimide NMM N-Methylmorpholine NISN-iodosuccinimide NMP 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone ON Overnight PTLCPreparative thin layer chromatography PyBrOP Bromo-tris-pyrrolidino- pinpinacol phosphonium hexafluorophosphate PyBOP(Benzotriazol-1-yloxy)tripyrrolidino- Pyr Pyridine phosphoniumhexa-fluorophosphate dtbpf 1′-Bis(di-tert- Ni(COD)₂Bis(1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) butylphosphino)ferrocene Quantquantitative RT or rt Room temperature sat (or Saturated SFCsupercritical fluid chromatography sat. or SiliaMetS ® Silica boundequivalent of 2,4,6- sat'd.) DMT trimercaptotriazine (metal scavenger)sgc Silica gel 60 chromatography SiO₂ Silica gel tBOCtert-Butoxycarbonyl t-Bu tert-butyl TEA Triethylamine TfTrifluoromethane sulfonyl TFA Trifluoroacetic acid THF TetrahydrofuranTLC Thin layer chromatography Ts Toluene sulfonyl SEM2-(Trimethylsilyl)ethoxy-methyl Tr Trityl Triphenylmethyl TsOHpara-toluene sulfonic acid TsOH•H₂O para-toluene sulfonic acid hydrateTBAF Tetrabutylammonium fluoride TBS Tert-butyldimethyl silyl T3Pn-propylphosphonic anhydride PMB or p-MB Para-methoxybenzyl Xantphos4,5-Bis(diphenylphosphino)- RuPhos 2-Dicyclohexylphosphino-2′,6′-9,9-dimethylxanthene diisopropoxybiphenyl ~ Approximately

General Experimental Information:

Unless otherwise noted, all reactions are magnetically stirred.

Unless otherwise noted, when diethyl ether is used in the experimentsdescribed below, it is Fisher ACS certified material and is stabilizedwith BHT.

Unless otherwise noted, “concentrated to dryness” means evaporating thesolvent from a solution or mixture using a rotary evaporator.

Unless otherwise noted, flash chromatography is carried out on an Isco,Analogix, or Biotage automated chromatography system using acommercially available cartridge as the column. Columns may be purchasedfrom Isco, Analogix, Biotage, Varian, or Supelco and are usually filledwith silica gel as the stationary phase.

Unless otherwise noted, all LRRK2 IC₅₀ data presented in tables refersto the LRRK2 Km ATP LanthaScreen™ Assay that is described in theBiological Assay section.

Scheme 1 Preparation of Example 1

Example 1

Step 1—Synthesis of 7-bromo-3-iodo-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1H-indazole

To a cooled solution of 7-bromo-3-iodo-1H-indazole (1.94 g, 6.01 mmol)in DMF (60.1 ml) was added NaH (0.240 g, 6.01 mmol). After 30 min,4-methoxybenzyl chloride (0.818 ml, 6.01 mmol) was added. The reactionwas stirred at 0° C. for 1 h then allowed to warm to room temperaturefor 2 h. Then the mixture was diluted with CH₂Cl₂ and quenched withwater. The organic layer was washed with water (3x), dried over Na₂SO₄,filtered, and concentrated to afford a residue which was purified bysilica gel flash chromatography (ISCO chromatography system, gradientelution with 0-100% EtOAc/hexane) to provide7-bromo-3-iodo-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1H-indazole. MS (M+H)+: 445.Step 2—Synthesis of 4-(4-(7-bromo-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine

A mixture of 7-bromo-3-iodo-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1H-indazole (1.92 g,4.33 mmol), 2-fluoropyridine-4-boronic acid (0.611 g, 4.33 mmol) , K₃PO₄(3.46 g, 13.00 mmol) and tetrabutyl ammonium bromide (0.279 g, 0.867mmol) in THF (39.4 ml) was purged with N₂. To the reaction, Pd(dppf)Cl₂(0.708 g, 0.867 mmol) was added and the mixture was purged again withN₂. The reaction was heated at 80° C. for 48 h. The reaction was cooledto rt, filtered through Celite, diluted with EtOAc and washed withwater. The organic layer was dried over Na₂SO₄, filtered, concentratedand purified by ISCO silica gel flash chromatography (eluted with 0-100%EtOAc in hexanes) to provide4-(4-(7-bromo-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine.MS (M+H)⁺: 413.Step 3—Synthesis of 4-(4-(7-bromo-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine

A solution of7-bromo-3-(2-fluoropyridin-4-yl)-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1H-indazole (607mg, 1.472 mmol) and morpholine (5.0 equiv.) in DMSO (1 mL) in a sealedtube was heated at 80° C. overnight. The reaction was then cooled to rt,diluted with EtOAc, and washed with 10% aq. citric acid (brought to pH 5with 1 N NaOH). The organic layer was dried over Na₂SO₄, filtered,concentrated and purified by ISCO flash silica gel chromatography(gradient elution with 0-100% EtOAc in hexanes) to provide4-(4-(7-bromo-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine.MS (M+H)⁺: 480.Step 4 - Synthesis of4-(4-(7-bromo-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine

A solution of4-(4-(7-bromo-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine (50 mg, 0.104 mmol) in TFA (0.1 mL) was heated at 100° C. for5 h. The reaction was then cooled, concentrated and the resultingresidue was purified by ISCO flash silica gel chromatography (gradienteultion, 0-10% MeOH in CH₂Cl₂) to afford Example 1. LCMS (ESI) m/z 361(Ret.=1.58 min, LCMS method a).

Scheme 2 Preparation of Example 2

Step1—Synthesis of 4-(4-(1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-7-methyl-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine

A microwave vial was charged with4-(4-(7-bromo-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine (70 mg, 0.146 mmol), methylzinc chloride(73.0 μl, 0.146 mmol, 2M in THF),bis(tri-tert-butylphosphine)palladium(0) (2.239 mg, 4.38 μmol) and THF(146 μl). The reaction was stirred at rt overnight. After cooling to 0°C., the reaction was quenched with water. The mixture was diluted withDCM/water and a tan solid crashed out that was filtered through a pad ofcelite. The liquid DCM/water layer was extracted with DCM, dried overanhydrous Na₂SO₄, and concentrated to afford the desired product, whichwas taken on to the next step as is.

Step 2—Synthesis of4-(4-(7-methyl-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine

A solution of 4-(4-(1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-7-methyl-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine (50 mg, 0.104 mmol) in TFA (0.1 mL) was heatedat 100° C. for 5 h. The reaction was cooled to room temperature andconcentrated to afford a residue which was purified by ISCO flash silicagel chromatography (gradient eltuion, 0-10% MeOH in CH₂Cl₂) to affordthe desired product Example 2. LCMS (ESI) m/z 295 (Ret.=2.18 min, LCMSmethod a).

Scheme 3 Preparation of Example 3

Step1—Synthesis of tert-butyl3-iodo-5-isopropoxy-7-methyl-M-indazole-1-carboxylate

A solution of 7-methyl-1H-indazol-5-ol (1.0 g, 6.75 mmol), 2-iodopropane(1.37 g, 8.10 mmol), and Cs₂CO₃ (3.30 g, 10.2 mmol) in DMF (8 mL) wasstirred at rt overnight. Water was added and the solution was extractedwith EtOAc. Concentration of the organic layer gave a yellow oil. Thecrude product was dissolved in 20 ml CH₃CN, followed by the addition ofI₂ (2.06 g, 8.10 mmol) and K₂CO₃ (1.87 g, 13.5 mmol). The mixture wasstirred at rt overnight. Boc₂O (2.95 g, 13.5 mmol), 100 mg DMAP and 2mlEt₃N were added and the mixture was stirred at rt overnight. Thereaction was partitioned between water and EtOAc. The resulting residuewas purified by ISCO flash silica gel chromatography (gradient elutionwith 0-100% EtOAc in hexanes) to provide tert-butyl3-iodo-5-isopropoxy-7-methyl-1H-indazole-1-carboxylate. MS (M+H)⁺: 417.Step 2—Synthesis of4-(4-(5-isopropoxy-7-methyl-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl) morpholine

A mixture of 3-iodo-5-isopropoxy-7-methyl-1H-indazole-1-carboxylate (250mg, 0.60 mmol), (2-morpholinopyridin-4-yl)boronic acid (187 mg, 0.90mmol), Pd(dppf)Cl₂ (86 mg, 0.12 mmol) and K₂CO₃ (166 mg, 1.20 mmol) indioxane (4 mL) and water (0.2 mL) was microwaved at 90° C. for 2 h. Thereaction was then filtered and the filtrate was concentrated. Theresidue was dissolved in 5 mL TFA and stirred at rt for 30 min. Thereaction was concentrated. The resulting residue was purified by ISCOflash silica gel chromatography (gradient elution with 0-100% EtOAc inhexanes) to provide Example 3. LCMS (ESI) m/z 353 (Ret.=2.04 min, LCMSmethod b).

Utilizing the method described in Scheme 3 and substituting7-fluoro-1H-indazol-5-ol for 7-methyl-1H-indazol-5-ol, Example 4,depicted in the table below, was prepared.

LCMS LRRK2 RT IC₅₀ Ex Structure Cond. (min) m/z (nM) 4

b 2.02 357.2 12

Scheme 4 Preparation of Example 5

Step1—Synthesis of 5-bromo-7-fluoro-3-iodo-1-trityl-1H-indazole

A mixture of 5-bromo-7-fluoro-1H-indazole (400 mg, 1.86 mmol) and1-iodopyrrolidine-2,5-dione (544 mg, 2.42 mmol) in CH₃CN (8 mL) washeated in microwave at 100° C. for 1 h. The reaction was cooled,unsealed and concentrated. The crude product was dissolved in 15 ml THF,followed by adding NaH (149 mg, 3.72 mmol) and TrCl (1.04 g, 3.72 mmol)and stirred at rt overnight. The reaction was worked up with water andEtOAc. The residue was purified by ISCO flash chromatography (elutedwith 0-100% EtOAc/hexane) to provide5-bromo-7-fluoro-3-iodo-1-trityl-1H-indazole. MS (M+H)⁺: 585.Step 2—Synthesis of 4-(4-(5-bromo-7-fluoro-1-trityl-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine

A mixture of 5-bromo-7-fluoro-3-iodo-1-trityl-1H-indazole (900 mg, 1.54mmol), (2-morpholinopyridin-4-yl)boronic acid (448 mg, 1.54 mmol),Pd(dppf)Cl₂ (226 mg, 0.31 mmol) and K₂CO₃ (427 rng, 3.09 mmol) indioxane (10 mL) and water (0.2 mL) was heated at 80° C. for 4 h. Thereaction was worked up with water and EtOAc. The residue was purified byISCO flash chromatography (eluted with 0-100% EtOAc/hexane) to provide4-(4-(5-bromo-7-fluoro-1-trityl-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine.MS (M+H)⁺: 621.Step 3—Synthesis of4-(4-(7-fluoro-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine

A mixture of4-(4-(5-bromo-7-fluoro-1-trityl-1H-indazol-3-yl)pyridin-2-yl)morpholine(100 mg, 0.16 mmol),1-methyl-4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole (51mg, 0.24 mmol), Pd(dppf)Cl₂ (24 mg, 0.032 mmol) and K₂CO₃ (45 mg, 0.33mmol) in dioxane (2 mL) and water (0.1 mL) was heated in microwave at110° C. for 3 h. The reaction was cooled, unsealed and filtered toremove the solids. The filtrate was concentrated and to the resultingresidue was added 2 mL TFA and 500 uL Et₃SiH, and stirred at rt for 2 h.The reaction was concentrated. The resulting residue was purified byISCO flash silica gel chromatography (gradient elution with 0-100% EtOAcin hexanes) to provide Example 5. LCMS (ESI) m/z 379 (Ret.=1.87 min,LCMS method b).

Utilizing the appropriate aryl boronate and indazole and a proceduresimilar to that outlined in Scheme 4, Examples 6˜8, depicted in thetable below, were prepared.

LCMS LRRK2 RT IC₅₀ Ex Structure Cond. (min) m/z (nM) 6

b 2.07 377.0  58 7

b 2.06 375.2 199 8

b 1.42 395.1 309

Scheme 5 Preparation of Example 9

Step1—Synthesis of 7-fluoro-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-indazole

A mixture of 5-bromo-7-fluoro-1H-indazole (400 mg, 1.86 mmol), (Boc)₂O(487 mg, 2.23 mmol), K₂CO₃ (514 mg, 3.72 mmol), and 50 mg DMAP in 10 mLdioxane was stirred at rt for 3 h. To this reaction mixture, addedPd(dppf)Cl₂ (272 mg, 0.37 mmol),1-methyl-4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole(581 mg, 2.97 mmol), and water (0.2 mL). The reaction was then heated to100° C. overnight. The reaction was worked up with water and EtOAc. Theresidue was purified by ISCO flash chromatography (eluted with 0-100%EtOAc/hexane) to provide7-fluoro-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-indazole. MS (M+H)+: 217.Step 2—Synthesis of tert-butyl7-fluoro-3-iodo-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl) -1H-indazole-1-carboxylate

A mixture of 7-fluoro-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-indazole (400 mg,1.85 mmol) and NIS (541 mg, 2.41 mmol) in CH₃CN (5 mL) and DMF (5 mL)was heated at 80° C. overnight. The reaction was cooled down and (Boc)₂O(808 mg, 3.7 mmol), DMAP (22.6 mg, 0.185 mmol) and 0.40 mL Et₃N wereadded and the mixture was stirred at rt for 4 h.The reaction was worked up with water and EtOAc. The residue waspurified by ISCO flash chromatography (eluted with 0-100% EtOAc/hexane)to provide tert-butyl 7-fluoro-3-iodo-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-indazole-1 -carboxylate. MS(M+H)⁺: 443.Step 3—Synthesis of tert-butyl3-(2-chloropyridin-4-yl)-7-fluoro-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-indazole-1-carboxylate

A mixture of tert-butyl7-fluoro-3-iodo-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-indazole-1-carboxylate(550 mg, 1.24 mmol),2-chloro-4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)pyridine (298mg, 1.54 mmol), Pd(dppf)Cl₂ (182 mg, 0.25 mmol) and K₂CO₃ (344 mg, 2.49mmol) in dioxane (5 mL) and water (0.1 mL) was heated at 75° C.overnight. The reaction was worked up with water and EtOAc. The residuewas purified by ISCO flash chromatography (eluted with 0-100%EtOAc/hexane) to provide3-(2-chloropyridin-4-yl)-7-fluoro-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-indazole-1-carboxylate.MS (M+H)⁺: 621.Step 4—Synthesis of7-fluoro-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-3-(2-(4-(methylsulfonyl)piperazin-1 -yl)pyridin-4-yl)-1H-indazole

A mixture of tert-butyl3-(2-chloropyridin-4-yl)-7-fluoro-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-indazole-1-carboxylate (80 mg, 0.19 mmol),1-(methylsulfonyl)piperazine (46 mg, 0.28 mmol), Pd₂(dba)₃ (34 mg, 0.04mmol), 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-3-iumchloride (24 mg, 0.06 mmol) and NaO^(t)Bu (36 mg, 0.37 mmol) in dioxane(2 mL) was heated at 130° C. for 1 h. The reaction was worked up withwater and EtOAc. The residue was purified by ISCO flash chromatography(eluted with 0-100% EtOAc/hexane) to provide Example 9. MS (M+H)⁺: 456.Using the appropriate starting materials and a method similar to thatoutlined in Scheme 5, Examples 10˜12, depicted in the table below, wereprepared.

LCMS LRRK2 RT IC₅₀ Ex Structure Cond. (min) m/z (nM) 10

b 2.07 367.0  8.2 11

b 1.87 452.0 218   12

b 1.91 377.2 380  

LCMS Conditions

a—Mobile Phase: A: 95% water, 5% ACN (0.05% TFA): B: ACN (0.05% TFA);Gradient: 94:6 to 2:98 (A:B) over 3.65 min; 2:98 (A:B) for 0.3 min; 2:98to 94:6 (A:B) over 0.03 min; 94:6 (A:B) 0.02 min. Flow rate: 1.0 ml/min;Column: YMC pro C18 (2.0×50 mm, 5 μM)b—Column Agilent SBC (3.0×50 mm, 1.8 u); Flow 1.0 mL/min; solvent A:H₂O-0.1% TFA; solvent B: ACN-0.1% TFA; GRADIENT TABLE: 0 min: 10% B, 0.3min: 10% B, 1.5 min: 95% B, 2.70 min: 95% B, 2.76 min: 10% B, stop time3.60 min, PostTime 0.70 min.

Biological Assays

The data presented for the Km ATP LanthaScreen™ Assay represents meanIC₅₀ values based on several test results and may have reasonabledeviations depending on the specific conditions and reagents used.Reagents for the LRRK2 Km ATP LanthaScreen™ Assay were purchased fromLife Technologies Corporation.

LRRK2 Km ATP LanthaScreen™ Assay

a) 400 nl of a 1:2.15 serial dilution of test compound (98 μM top assayconcentration) is spotted via Labcyte Echo to certain wells in a 384well black, untreated plate. Control wells contain 400 nl of either DMSOor 400 nl of a known inhibitor in DMSO.b) 10 μl of a 2.5 nM LRRK2(G2019S mutation, GST-LRRK2 (amino acids970-2527)) enzyme solution in 1× assay buffer (50 mM Tris pH 8.5, 10 mMMgCl₂, 0.01% Brij-35, 1mM EGTA, 2 mM DTT, 0.05 mM NaVO₄) is added to allwells.c) A 30 minute room temperature incubation is followed by addition of 10μl of 800 nM fluorescein labeled LRRKtide peptide substrate and 186 μMATP solution in 1× assay buffer to all wells.d) After a 60 minute room temperature incubation, 20 μl of TR-FRETDilution Buffer (Invitrogen PV3756B) containing 4 nM Tb-labeledanti-phospho LRRKtide antibody and 20 mM EDTA is added to all wells.e) Plates are incubated at room temperature for 1 hour and read on anEnvision™ multi-mode plate reader with LanthaScreen™ settings. Resultsare analysed using Assay Data Analyzer.

1. A compound of the formula: I:

wherein R¹ is selected from the group consisting of: a) hydrogen, b)halo, c) cyano, d) hydroxyl, e) C₂₋₆ alkenyl, which is optionallysubstituted with one to three substitutents independently selected fromthe group consisting of halo, cyano and R⁵; f) OC₂₋₆ alkenyl, which isoptionally substituted with one to three substitutents independentlyselected from the group consisting of halo, cyano and R⁵; g) R⁵, h) OR⁵,i) R⁷, j) S(O)_(m)R⁵, k) S(O)_(m)R⁷, l) (C═O)R⁷, m) (C═O)R⁵, n)(C═O)OR⁵, o) NR^(c)R^(d), and p)

X¹, X² and X³ are each independently selected from the group consistingof a bond or CR^(e)R^(f); Y is O, CR^(a)R^(b) or NR^(c); Z is O,CR^(a)R^(b) or NR^(c); R^(z) is selected from the group consisting ofhydrogen and C₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one tothree substituents independently selected from the group consisting ofhalo, hydroxyl, cyano, NH(C₁₋₃ alkyl), N(C₁₋₃ alkyl)₂, OC₁₋₆ alkyl, andC₃₋₈ cycloalkyl; A is CH or N; R² is selected from the group consistingof hydrogen and C₁₋₆ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one tothree substitutents independently selected from the group consisting of:a) halo, b) cyano, c) R⁵, d) R⁷, e) OR⁵, and f) NR^(c)R^(d); R³ isselected from the group consisting of: a) hydrogen, b) C₁₋₆ alkyl, whichis optionally substituted with one to three substitutents independentlyselected from the group consisting of halo, cyano, OR⁵ and NR^(c)R^(d),c) C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstitutents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,cyano, OR⁵ and NR^(c)R^(d), d) heterocyclyl, which is optionallysubstituted with one to three substitutents independently selected fromthe group consisting of halo, cyano, oxo, R⁵, OR⁵ and NR^(c)R^(d), e)heteroaryl, which is optionally substituted with one to threesubstitutents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,cyano, oxo, R⁵, OR⁵ and NR^(c)R^(d); f) C₄₋₈ cycloalkenyl, which isoptionally substituted with one to three substitutents independentlyselected from the group consisting of halo, cyano, OR⁵ and NR^(c)R^(d),g) (C═O)R⁷, h) (C═O)R⁵, i) S(O)_(m)R⁵, and j) S(O)_(m)R⁷; or R² and R³can be taken together with the atoms to which they are attached to forma 3 to 8 membered heterocyclic or heteroaryl ring, wherein said ring maycontain from one to three heteroatoms selected from N, O and S, whereinthe sulfur is optionally oxidized to the sulfone or sulfoxide, and whichring is optionally substituted with one to four substituents eachindependently selected from the group consisting of: a) halo, b) oxo, c)cyano, d) OR⁵, e) NR^(c)R^(d), f) SO₃H, g) S(O)_(m)R⁵, h) S(O)_(m)R⁷ i)R⁵, j) R⁶, k) R⁷, l) (C═O)R⁵, m) (C═O)OR⁵, n) (C═O)R⁷, and o)(C═O)NR^(c)R^(d); R⁴ is selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen,halo, cyano, OR⁵, aryl, heteroaryl, C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl, C₄₋₈ cycloalkenyl,C₄₋₈ heterocyclyl and C₁₋₆ alkyl, which is optionally substituted withone to three substitutents independently selected from the groupconsisting of halo, cyano, OC₁₋₃ alkyl, NR^(c)R^(d) and hydroxy; R⁵ isselected from the group consisting of hydrogen or C₁₋₆ alkyl, which isoptionally substituted with one to three substituents independentlyselected from the group consisting of: a) halo, b) hydroxyl, c) OC₁₋₆alkyl, d) NR^(c)R^(d), e) (C═O)NR^(c)R^(d), f) S(O)_(m)R⁸, g)S(O)_(m)R⁷, h) R⁷, and i) OR⁷; R⁶ is C₁₋₆ alkyl, which is optionallysubstituted with one to three substituents independently selected fromthe group consisting of halo and hydroxyl; or R⁵ and R⁶ can be takentogether with the atoms to which they are attached to form a 4 to 8membered heterocyclic, 3 to 8 membered carbocyclic, aryl or heteroarylring, wherein said heterocyclic and heteroaryl rings may contain fromone to three heteroatoms selected from N, O and S, wherein saidheterocyclic, carbocyclic, aryl and heteroaryl rings are optionallysubstituted with one to three substituents independently selected fromthe group consisting of: a) halo, b) oxo, c) cyano, d) hydroxyl, e) C₁₋₃alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one to three halo, f) C₃₋₈cycloalkyl, g) OC₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with one tothree halo, and h) OC₃₋₈ cycloalkyl; R⁷ is selected from the groupconsisting of C₄₋₈ heterocyclyl, C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl, C₄₋₈ cycloalkenyl,aryl or heteroaryl, wherein said heterocyclyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl,aryl and heteroaryl groups are optionally substituted with one to threesubstituents independently selected from the group consisting of: a)halo, b) cyano, c) hydroxyl, d) oxo, e) C₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionallysubstituted with one to four substituents independently selected fromthe group consisting of hydroxyl, halo, cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyland NR^(c)R^(d), f) OC₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted withone to four substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydroxyl, halo, cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyl,NR^(c)R^(d), aryl and heteroaryl, g) C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl, which isoptionally substituted with one to four substituents independentlyselected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, halo, cyano,heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyl and NR^(c)R^(d), h) aryl, which is optionallysubstituted with one to four substituents independently selected fromthe group consisting of hydroxyl, halo, cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃alkyl, S(O)_(m)NR^(c)R^(d), C(O)NR^(c)R^(d) and NR^(c)R^(d), i)heteroaryl, which is optionally substituted with one to foursubstituents independently selected from the group consisting ofhydroxyl, halo, cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyl, S(O)_(m)NR^(c)R^(d),C(O)NR^(c)R^(d) and NR^(c)R^(d), j) heterocyclyl, which is optionallysubstituted with one to four substituents independently selected fromthe group consisting of hydroxyl, halo, cyano, OC₁₋₃ alkyl andNR^(c)R^(d), k) C₄₋₈ cycloalkenyl, which is optionally substituted withone to four substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydroxyl, halo, cyano, heterocyclyl, OC₁₋₃ alkyl andNR^(c)R^(d); R⁸ is hydrogen or C₁₋₆ alkyl, which is optionallysubstituted with one to three substituents independently selected fromthe group consisting of: a) halo, b) cyano, c) hydroxyl, d) OC₁₋₃ alkyl,which is optionally substituted with one to four substituentsindependently selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, halo andNR^(e)R^(f), and e) C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl; R⁹ is selected from the groupconsisting of: a) C₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted with oneto three substituents independently selected from the group consistingof halo, b) halo, c) cyano, d) hydroxyl, and e) OC₁₋₃ alkyl, which isoptionally substituted with one to three substituents independentlyselected from the group consisting of halo; R^(a) is selected from thegroup consisting of hydrogen and C₁₋₆ alkyl; R^(b) is selected from thegroup consisting of hydrogen and C₁₋₆ alkyl; R^(c) is selected from thegroup consisting of: a) hydrogen, b) C₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionallysubstituted with one to three substituents independently selected fromthe group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, cyano, heteroaryl, aryl, NH(C₁₋₃alkyl), N(C₁₋₃ alkyl)₂, OC₁₋₆ alkyl, and C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl; R^(d) isselected from the group consisting of: a) hydrogen, b) C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl,c) C₃₋₆ heterocyclyl, d) C₁₋₃ alkyl, e) (C═O)C₁₋₃ alkyl, f) aryl, and g)heteroaryl; wherein said cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, alkyl, aryl andheteroaryl groups are each optionally substituted with one to threesubstituents independently selected from the group consisting of halo,hydroxyl, cyano, R⁸, SO₂R⁸, OC₁₋₆ alkyl and C₃₋₈ cycloalkyl; or R^(c)and R^(d) can be taken together with the atoms to which they areattached to form a 3 to 8 membered heterocyclic ring, wherein said ringmay contain from one to three heteroatoms selected from N, O and S,wherein the sulfur is optionally oxidized to the sulfone or sulfoxide,and which ring is optionally substituted with one to four substituentseach independently selected from the group consisting of halo, cyano,hydroxyl, C₁₋₃ alkyl and OC₁₋₃ alkyl; R^(e) is selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen and C₁₋₃ alkyl; R^(f) is selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen and C₁₋₃ alkyl; m is an integer from zero to two;or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 2. The compound of claim1 wherein R¹ is selected from the group consisting of:

hydrogen, R⁵, OR⁵, R⁷ and or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.3. The compound of claim 2 wherein R¹ is selected from the groupconsisting of: hydrogen, OR⁵ and R⁷ or a pharmaceutically acceptablesalt thereof.
 4. The compound of claim 3 wherein R² and R³ are takentogether with the atoms to which they are attached to form a 3 to 8membered heterocyclic or heteroaryl ring, wherein said ring may containfrom one to three heteroatoms selected from N, O and S, wherein thesulfur is optionally oxidized to the sulfone or sulfoxide, and whichring is optionally substituted with one to four substituents eachindependently selected from the group consisting of: a) halo, b) oxo, c)cyano, d) OR⁵, e) NR^(c)R^(d), f) SO₃H, g) S(O)_(m)R⁵, h) S(O)_(m)R⁷ i)R⁵, j) R⁶, k) R⁷, l) (C═O)R⁵, m) (C═O)OR⁵, n) (C═O)R⁷ and o)(C═O)NR^(c)R^(d); or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 5. Thecompound of claim 4 wherein R² and R³ are taken together with the atomsto which they are attached to form a 6 membered heterocyclic ring,wherein said ring may contain from one to three heteroatoms selectedfrom N, O and S, wherein the sulfur is optionally oxidized to thesulfone or sulfoxide, and which ring is optionally substituted with oneto four substituents each independently selected from the groupconsisting of: a) halo, b) oxo, c) OR⁵, d) NR^(c)R^(d), e) S(O)_(m)R⁵,f) S(O)_(m)R⁷, g) R⁵, h) R⁶, i) R⁷, j) (C═O)R⁵, k) (C═O)OR⁵ and l)(C═O)R⁷, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 6. The compoundof claim 5 wherein R⁴ is hydrogen, or a pharmaceutically acceptable saltthereof.
 7. The compound of claim 6 wherein R⁹ is selected from thegroup consisting of: a) C₁₋₃ alkyl, which is optionally substituted withone to three substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of halo, and b) halo, or a pharmaceutically acceptable saltthereof.
 8. A compound selected from:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 9. A pharmaceuticalcomposition comprising a compound of claim 1, and a pharmaceuticallyacceptable carrier.
 10. A method of treating Parkinson's Diseasecomprising administering an effective amount of a compound of claim 1,or a pharmaceutically acceptable composition thereof, to a person inneed thereof.
 11. (canceled)
 12. (canceled)